Tuesday, April 16, 2013

What is the Right Knee Brace or Support For My Injury?


There are all kinds of knee braces for all types of injuries and conditions. For instance, athletes suffering from mild knee joint pain or those who have a weak knee wear a hinged brace designed to alleviate joint pain and correct instability. Some knee braces are designed especially for skiers, with ski deflectors present on the inside hinge to prevent the ski or clothing from tugging on the hinge.

Some braces are made to prevent re-injury of a ligament, so that the athlete enjoys practicing high impact sports without having to worry about twisted knees. Someone recovering from surgery on a torn ACL will most likely not want to take the chance of it happening again.

Ligament knee braces can be designed to be very light for athletes who do not want to be burdened with the extra weight of a heavy brace, and will be as efficient as sturdy molded braces. Ligament injuries are one of the most common injury in any sport including knee sprains or torn knee ligaments. Why? Because our knees often need to support our weight on impact, helped by our ankles. Just from flexing, our knees are already using their ACL (anterior cruciate ligament). A twist or a bad alignment from knee to ankle can cause the most common knee ligament injury: a torn ACL. It doesn't take much to sprain a knee when practicing sports.

For those people suffering from arthritis in the knees, some knee braces are designed just them. Arthritis is a chronic pain which can last a long time when inflamed. Everyone wants to be able to do everyday activities, and arthritis sufferers can find very good knee support braces created just for them. The arthritis pain is alleviated by the brace redistributing the weight-bearing load. Wearing an arthritis knee brace often increases the ability to perform daily functions and decreases pain from day to day, which is no small feat.

Wearing knee braces or knee supports for people who are starting new sports activities is recommended to avoid spraining and other injury or severe damage to soft tissues. Of course, one can wear a specially designed brace after an injury to protect from more damage, but avoiding the pain of injury in the first place just by wearing a brace seems a lot easier.

You should turn to your healthcare professional to determine which brace or support is right for your injury. They are the best equipped to evaluate your condition. What is most important is that you get the extra support you need to recover properly and perhaps even prevent yourself from suffering from future knee injuries.

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